Can crusher



1962 J. MCC. HOWELL 3,034,422

CAN CRUSHER Filed Feb. 4, 1958 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l his ATTORNEY INVENTORHOWELL CAN CRUSHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1958 Zfi INVENTOR JACKMLC. HOWELL his ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiiice 3,034,422 PatentedMay 15, 1962 3,034,422 CAN CRUSHER Jack McC. Howell, Round Bay Road,Severna Park, Md. Filed Feb. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 713,119 2 Claims. (Cl.100-70) This invention relates to a can crusher for crushing empty oiland like cans.

A number of can crush'ers have been devised for crushing cans after theyhave been emptied of their contents to reduce the bulkiness of the cansand thus facilitate storage and subsequent handling. Such crushers areof two general types, one of which first pierces or cuts the ends of acan and then crushes the can radially. The other type crushes a canaxially between a pair of relatively movable fiat heads and ispreferable over the first type in its ability to crush a can in a singlestep. However, the present axial crushers have the disadvantage ofrequiring a relatively high force. I have now discovered that if, at theoutset of the crushing operatoin, at least one end of the can is bulgedinwardly, the can can be crushed by about one-third the force requiredby a fiatheaded crusher.

It therefore is the primary object of the present invention to providean improved can crusher wherein at least one of a pair of relativelymovable heads between which a can is axially crushed carries a bluntprotuberance for bulging the confronting end of the can inwardly at theoutset of a crushing operation, thereby markedly reducing the forcerequired to crush the can.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved can crusherwhich is operable by fluid pressure or mechanically to shift a movabletowards a fixed head and wherein one of the heads carries a bluntprotuberance for bulging the confronting end of a can inwardly so thatthe can can be crushed by a relatively low force exerted by the movablehead.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved cancrusher which not only can crush a can by relatively low pressure but isadapted for mounting on an open-topped receptacle and after crushing acan automatically discharges it into the receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved can crusheroperable under relatively low pressure and so arranged and constructedas readily to receive a can and enclose the can during the crushingoperation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter inthe detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the improved cancrusher of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 33 of FIGURE2; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 44 of FIGURE1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts, the improved can crusher of the presentinvention is adapted for use wherever the reduction in bulk of emptycans is necessary or desirable to facilitate subsequent handling.However,

it is particularly designed for use in gasoline service stations incrushing the recently introduced aluminum oil cans, the metal in whichis intended to be salvaged for reuse to render them competitive withconventional steel cans. Basically, the improved can crusher iscomprised of a pair of relatively movable heads, at least one of whichcarries a blunt protuberance adapted to engage and bulge inwardly aconfronting end of an can at the outset of the crushing operation,support means for supporting a can between the heads with a confrontingend substantially centered on the protuberance, and means for moving theheads toward each other and crushing a can therebetween.

As exemplified in the illustrated embodiment, in which it has beenadapted for service station use, the can crusher has a fixed head 1 anda movable head 2 normally spaced from and movable or reciprocablelongitudinally or axially realtive to the fixed head. While the movablehead 2 may be moved mechanically in either or both directions relativeto the fixed head, it will usually be preferred, particularly forservice station use in which a source of fluid pressure is readilyavailable, to apply can crushing force to the movable head by fluidpressure. Accordingly, in the illustrated form, the movable head 2 isattached to the outer end of a piston rod 3, the piston 4 of whichreciprocates in a cylinder 5.

Although the mounting of the operating parts of the can crusher may varydepending on the intended use, for service station use the heads 1 and 2and fluid pressure cylinder 5 advantageously may be mounted on a housingor casing 6 which serves as both a mounting and a housing. Fittable overthe upper end 7 of an opentopped oil drum or like receptacle 8, theillustrated housing 6 is a substantially frusto-conical shell having asubstantially horizontal top wall 9, an upwardly tapering frusto-conicalside wall 10 and an annular foot 11 bounding the lower extremity of andoutstanding from the side wall and in turn bounded outwardly by adepending annular skirt 12, the foot 11 resting on and being positionedor centered by the skirt 12 relative to the upper end 7 of the drum 8.The described housing 6 readily lends itself to suspension of theoperating parts of the crusher through a plurality of longitudinally oraxially or, relative to the housing, radially spaced mounting blocks orhangers having at their upper ends horizontally directed legs 13underlying and releasably attached or secured, as by bolting, to the topwall 9 of the housing. One of the illustrated mounting blocks,designated as 14, carries or supports and may have formed integrallywith it the fixed head 1, while the other illustrated block 15 supportsor carries and, as Well, may have formed integrally with it a collar orring 16 apertured as at 17 to receive the cylinder 5.

in part to rigidity the structure, the mounting blocks 14 and 15 areboth connected and spaced in substantially parallel relation by aplurality of parallelly extending rods or rails 1-8, here arran ed invertically spaced pairs, the rods having radially reduced threaded ends19 extending through holes 20 in flange portions 21 formed on each ofthe mounting blocks outwardly of its fixed head 1 or collar 16,respectively, and therebeyond carrying clamping nuts 22. Both spacingand connecting the mounting blocks 14 and 15, the rods 18 alsoconveniently serve as guide rods or rails for slidably mounting thethrough an overlying opening 25 in or interrupting the top wall? of thehousing 6, a can is supported or held in position to be crushed endwiseby support or seat.

means, preferably in the form of a pair of support bars or rods2dextending parallel to the direction of movement'of the movable head 2and thus to the guide rods 18. Disposed below the level and to eitherside of the centerof the movable head 2 and at a horizontal spacingwhich, at their level, will substantially center a can axially on theheads, the support rods 26 conveniently may be anchored or fixed attheir outer ends to the adjacent or contiguous end of the fluid pressurecylinder '5 and extend axially through and be slidably received by themovable head. At their inner ends, the support bars terminate short ofthe confronting'fiat face 27 of the fixed head' 1 with the spacetherebetween sufficient to permit a crushed can to drop therethroughinto the receptacle 8. For protection, the opening 25 above the heads 1and 2 preferably is made closable by a door or closure member 23attached to the housing 6, the illustrated door being graspable by a lipor knob 29 and slidable to open and closed position between guides orslides 31 fixed or secured to the upper side of the top wall 9. a r

With a can'supported endwise between the heads 1 and 2 on the supportingrods 26, the pressure stroke of the movable head 2 first appliespressure by engagement of its blunt protuberance or bulge with theconfronting end '31 of the can. As the pressure exerted between thefixed and movable heads continues to be applied, this end 31 of the canis bulged inwardly, exerting an inward radial pull or pressure on thesurroundingrcrimped rim 3270f the can and in turn on the adjoining endportion of the cans side wall '33. Weakened by the inward pressure-onits 'end, the side wall 33 of the can begins to crumple from that end.as axial pressure is applied to it by the movable head 2 and,thereafter, during the pressure stroke, crumples progressively towardsits far end until fully crushed.

The important consequence of the initial weakening of the side wall 33adjacent the inwardly bulged end 31 is that the can can be crushed byabout one-third the force required with flat-faced heads, permitting areductionin the total pressure from about 200 Pounds to about 70 poundsin the case of a one-quart aluminum oil can. Blunt-nosed to applypressure, without cutting, .to the confronting end 31 of the can 24, thebulge or protuberance 34 acts most effectively when the inward pressureis exerted substantially uniformly about the rim 32 and, accordingly,preferably is not only arcuately but spherically convex. Also, while thewidth or diameter of the bulge 34 may be greater than the outsidediameter of the rim 32, the resultant outward force on the rim, when thelatter is engaged by the movable head 2, to a degree could nullify theeffect of the radially'inward pressure attendant the inward bulging ofthe end 31. Consequently, it is preferred that the width or diameter ofthe bulge 34 be substantially or at most no greater than the insidediameter of the rim 32 of the can for which the pressure is designed andthat the face 35 of the movable head 2 outwardly of or interrupted bythe bulge be substantially flat and parallel to the fiat face 28 of thefixed head 1. 7

While other forms of fluidpressure or, as previously mentioned, even amechanical drive will sufice to drive the movable head 2 at least in itspressure or power stroke, the illustrated form of the fluid pressurecylinder 5 especially lends itself to the intended installation. Insteadof housing a piston carrying a gasket wiping against its inner wall 36,the cylinder 5 is made of two parts 37 carrying confronting flanges 38connectable as by bolting to each other and to the flange 21 carried bythe mounting block 15 and contains the inwardly facing cup-shaped piston4 opening inwardly or away from a fluid pressure chamber 39 in the outerend of the cylinder 5. Spaced inwardly radially from the inner wall 36of the cylinder 5 the piston 4 is enabled to seal the pressure chamber39-from the balance of the piston by a rubber or other flexiblevdiaphragm 40 wrapping or extending about the piston in the normalposition of the latter and secured centrally to the inner end 41 of thepiston rod 3 and at its marginal edge 42 betweenthe confronting flanges39 on the two parts of the cylinder. With this construction,introduction of air or other fluid intothe chamber 39 through ail-inletline 43 and inlet port 44 forces the piston 4 to move toward theopposite end of the cylinder 5 with thediaphragm 4t meanwhile unrollingfrom the piston to follow its movement. On completion of the power orpressure stroke, here determined by the spacing between the heads 1 and2, the fluid pressure to the chamber 39 is shut OE and the fluid in thechamber is bled, enabling the piston 4 to be restored to initial ornormal position by a return spring 45 encircling the piston rod 3. -Ithas beenrnentioned that the support rods 26 may conveniently be anchoredat their outer ends to the adjoining end of the cylinder 5. With theillustrated cylinder, this is readily accomplishable by anchoring thesupport rods 26 to anchors or brackets 46, in turn anchored or securedto a mounting disc 47 for the bushing 48 in which the piston rod slides,

Readily handl'eable by handles 49 attached to the side wall 10 of itshousing 6 the illustrated can crusher may be connected to a source offluid pressure (not shown) through a suitable fitting (not shown) on itsinletline 43 and thereafter may be operated at will to crush 21 can byany suitable hand or foot operated valve (not shown). It should beunderstood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merelyexemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to beincluded which do not depart from either the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A can crusher comprising a fixed head, a head reciprocable relativeto said fixed head, means for reciprocating said reciprocable head,support means for supporting a can endwisebetween said heads, said headshaving substantially flat and parallel confronting faces for engagingconfronting rims of, said can and therethrough applying axial pressureto crush a side wall thereof, and means for weakening said side wall ofsaid can prior to crushing, said weakening means including a blunt bulgeinterrupting the flat face of one of said heads and projecting inwardlytherefrom toward said other head a distance greater than theaxialprojection of the confronting rim beyond an adjoining end of saidcan, said bulge having a width less than the inside diameter of theconfronting rim of said can and being substantially centered thereon forbulging said end inwardly on movement of said heads toward each other inadvance of engagement of both of said rims.

2. A can crusher comprising a fixed head, a head reciprocable relativeto said fixed head, means for reciprocating said reciprocable head,support means for supporting a can endwise between said heads, saidheads having substantially flat and parallel confronting faces forengaging confronting rims of said can and there- ,through applying axialpressure to crush a-sidewall thereof, and means for weakening said sidewall of said can prior to crushing, said weakening means including aspherically convex bulge interrupting the fiat face of one of said headsand projecting inwardly therefrom toward said other head a distancegreater than the axial projection of the confronting rim beyond anadjoining end of said can, said bulge having a width less than theinside diameter of the confronting rim of said can and beingsubstantially centered thereon for bulging said end inwardly on movementof said heads toward each other in advance of application of axialpressure to said side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSWisewell Dec. 6, Ross Aug. 20, Wells Mar. 4, Wells Apr. 13, Nadolny Apr.12, Voigt July 15, Scheer Nov. 4, Smith Oct. 26, Jennings Mar. 13,Nelson Nov. 19,

